Category: barclay

Play dead!

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, farm6 Comments

When Dave and I took hay to the critters they burst out of the back area and into the yard, which I thought was better than then knocking Dave over with the wheelbarrow full of hay. But Barclay started chasing the sheep, and the pasture gate was open, so out they go into the pasture, and before I could catch up he had a mouthful of wool on Marian’s side and was hanging on for dear life as she tried to run away from him. Being a sheep (and we’ve already established that means ‘not very smart’) she ran into the corner of the field, and when I caught up Marian was laying down, all legs tucked under, head straight out forward, chin flat on the ground, eyes closed. Playing dead! Barclay didn’t know what to do with that – he was jumping around, climbing over her, but there were no legs to grab, and she wouldn’t react to him. I finally picked him up and carried him back. When we got away from her Houdini went over to sniff her and she jumped up and shook, and then she ran over to the other sheep, and the whole bunch headed back to get some hay. What crazyness!

Of course, it would have helped if Barclay came when I called her away from her, or if we had the hay stored in a barn, where we could feed the animals without tramping through mud and risking getting knocked down every time. Our layout is just not right for keeping livestock all winter. It’s a lot of work, and the animals don’t have a good place to stay where they aren’t standing in mud and poop. I’m seriously considering finding them new homes and getting out of livestock at all. I feel like if I can’t take care of animals right and safely for everyone (including the livestock), then I shouldn’t have them.

Barclay’s big weekend

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, chickens, pets1 Comment

Here’s a funny chicken story for today – wish I had got pictures. Barclay went outside and the chickens were in the yard, so I watched him from the window, hoping he wouldn’t chase them. Instead he came up to one of the friendlier hens, got nose to nose with her, then barked and turned around and stuck his wagging tail in her face, wanting her to chase him and play with him – man that boy needs another puppy to play with!! The chicken didn’t know what to do! You should have seen the shocked look on her face!

Yesterday Barclay went to the indoor dog park in Hazel Dell. He has a great time there playing with the boston terriers, and there was a beagle/terrier mix there that he got on great with. A shepherd and a pit bull showed up just before we left, and the shepherd fussed at him a little, and he didn’t know how to take it, it kind of shut him down. But it was time to go anyway. I’m sure he’ll have forgotten it next time we go. He loves playing with the other dogs. It’s great to watch him just being a dog!

Then this morning (after the chicken incident) we went to a herding lesson. At first he kept wanting to bite the sheep on the back legs, and the teacher was joking maybe he needed to work cows! He was a white heeler, instead of a blue heeler 🙂 But then she got a little more action with the rake and he started to get it. I think he did really good for having had a month off thanks to the weather and then the holiday. And he always has so much fun doing it, and then sleeps the rest of the day!

The best part of today was when he wandered into the chicken pen and Dave called him from the backdoor, and Barclay came running! Then at herding practice I called him away from the sheep and he dropped what he was doing and came running. Then he did it again this afternoon when Dave called him into the house! We taught him to come as a puppy, then he ‘forgot how’ as an independant teenager, but now it’s finally coming back to him. Nothing in the world feels as good as calling your dog and seeing him running towards you!

Rainy day guests

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, pets2 Comments

We are near the bottom of a hill, and the water from above us drains down into our pasture. I don’t mind, it’s important for the water to have someplace to go, especially with so many wetlands being destroyed.


And it provides habitat for visitors like this – a flock of canada geese who dropped by to enjoy the field. They fly over every day. There is a pond to the south east, and another to the north west, so we are in the flight path morning and evening, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen them stop.

Another Casualty

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, pets5 Comments


When I was little I loved my Grandma’s wind up polar bear. I was only allowed to play with him gently, under supervision, and he was pretty threadbare back then even. A few years ago when my aunt passed away, we were cleaning up the house and discovered the polar bear still in Grandma’s dresser drawer where she had always kept it. No one had moved anything since she passed away almost 20 years before! I took him home and put him on a shelf in the front room

Yesterday Barclay had been naughty and running around the loveseat to hide from us, so I pushed the loveseat up against the shelves so he couldn’t get behind it. Later he noticed he could climb on the loveseat and reach the shelves, and the first thing he picked was the bear!

AAARGH – ROBO-BEAR!!!!!

I’ll be so glad when Barclay gets done with his destructive-puppy phase.

Snowdays!

On By stefrobrtsIn alki, barclay, farm, pets, snow4 Comments

We got an early blast of winter weather. Snow at Christmas is just about unheard of around here! But lucky us, it started snowing a couple days ago. First day we got around fine in the Stealth, because it has front wheel drive. The van is useless in the snow, and it was a bit hairy getting it home the first day. It was snowing hard and I closed the shop early and slowly drove home in the van, and it hasn’t moved since.

The next day we headed out in the Stealth to go to work, and hit a slick spot and put it in the ditch! Luckily it was a shallow ditch, so the only damage was a few scratches from the bushes. Kyle came and pulled us out with his monster truck. Our hero! Once we got safely into town Dave bought cable chains for the car and then he was able to safely drive between town and home.

Yesterday (Saturday) Dave had a matinee play, so he dropped me and Barclay off at work in the morning, and I was there all day, watching the snow come down down down. Only a couple customers came by all day because of the snow, so it was just me and Barclay entertaining ourselves for hours on end! He didn’t make it back to pick me up until after 7, so it was heading for 8 when we got home.

Since Saturday was so bad we decided to close today (Sunday) and just stay home and enjoy the snow. And it snowed all evening and this is what we woke up to.


8 inches of snow with a nice icy crust on top! That’s a LOT of snow for the pacific NW. I can hear it occasionally falling off the trees with a crash!

Alki didn’t like it at all! She just wanted to get back inside! Barclay liked it so much he went way out in the pasture and just sat and watched and listened.

The sheep didn’t seem to mind. Some had snow on their backs, even though there’s a cozy covered stall for them to use. The chickens didn’t want to come out of the coop, so I fed them in there and moved their water nice and close. The llamas also do not seem to care about the weather, though they are staying under the shelter for the most part.

I don’t think there is anything quite as beautiful as fir trees weighted down with snow. Days like this make me feel so lucky to be able to live out here in the country!

Crazy time of year!

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, farm, pets3 Comments
(neither of those is me 🙂 that’s members of the 501st who came to our grand opening)

Because we own a mail order toy store this is the busiest time of year for us. We don’t really enjoy the holidays, it’s not a month of time off work, gathering with friends and family, decorating the house. It’s a solid month or more of hard work, late nights, and coming home and dropping on the couch exhausted, right before getting back up and running out to the shop to pack more packages. And this year, with the retail part of the store, we have to be manning the physical location as well. 7 Days a week. With no days off. And for some reason Dave decided this would be a good time to do a play?

We close the store at 6pm, but sometimes customers wander in late, and I’m never one to send money away. Seemed like I couldn’t get them all out the other night, and I didn’t get to lock up until 6:30. By the time I got home it was fully dark and Dave was gone to rehearsal, and as Barclay and I walked up to the porch (Barclay goes to work with me sometimes), I noticed the motion sensor light was on. Because there was a llama on the porch. Patrone ran off into the yard and disappeared into the darkness. So Barclay and I went out there and I was annoyed to discover all the llamas in the front yard. Barclay was delighted, he was running around playing with them while Houdini tried to stomp him! All the while the sheep and goats were bleating their disapproval – they wanted to run around the front yard too!

I went and got a flashlight and gloves, because it was COLD, and found the llamas had pushed down the wire fence, and that was why they were in the yard. So I got my tools and fixed the fence by flashlight, then took some grain and put it in the paddock in their bowls, so they just about bowled me over getting to it. About this time I noticed Barclay was gone. But he soon showed up again, he had been out in the field. So we went back inside where it was light…

And he was filthy up to his knees, plus a big smudge on his forehead right between the eyes! Looks like he must have been out digging through fresh molehills! So into the tub he goes for a foot rinse. And I finally got onto making dinner about 8pm. And people wonder why I’m so tired!